Veteran unemployment is falling as employers realize what a soldier can do

Page 1 of 5 Veteran unemployment is falling as employers realize what a soldier can do By Robert L. Smith, The Plain Dealer on February 24, 2012 at 6:00 PM, updated February 27, 2012 at 10:41 AM After manning radar stations in Korea and helping staff an Army base in Iraq, Andrea Riccelli came home with a soldier's resume and some concerns. The Bay Village native knew that unemployment was high among young veterans. She soon began to realize why. "I get a lot of questions like, 'How does that translate to our needs?'" said Riccelli, 30, an Army reservist who served four years of active duty. After several interviews, she said, a local bank flatly told her, "You're too military." Maybe not anymore. In the wake of news reports of unemployed and under-appreciated veterans, a hire-aveteran movement is emerging in Greater Cleveland. In recent weeks, area manufacturers have peppered veteran affairs offices and job training centers with requests for veteran job candidates, preferably people fresh from the fight in Iraq or Afghanistan. Cuyahoga County recently welcomed a veteran job specialist -- becoming the first county in Ohio to do so -- and some major employers are instructing hiring managers to get a better understanding of army life. Employment connections If a veteran needs a job, or an employer needs a veteran, these people and programs can help make the connection. Bryan McGown, AMVETS employer outreach specialist at the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission; 216-698- 2606, bryan.mcgown@amvetscareercenter.org The Returning Veterans Project at MAGNET, which focuses on manufacturing job matches, 216-432-5300 Ohio veterans still face a high unemployment rate, 15 percent for post 9/11 vets, but prospects are brightening locally. Employers in myriad fields are taking a second look at the office ranks to Rick DeChant, executive director of veteran services at Cuyahoga Community College, 216-987-3193, Richard.DeChant@tri-c.edu Joshua Collins, veterans representative at the Parma office of

Page 2 of 5 see where former soldiers and sailors might fit in. That requires a bit of imagination, as military duty seldom mirrors civilian life. But experts say seeing across that gap is critical to putting jobless veterans to work and gaining full advantage of their skills. Employment Connection, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 11699 Brookpark Road; 216-898-6102, joshua.collins@jfs.ohio.gov The Military Career Advanced Skills program, designed to lead to careers at the Cleveland Clinic. Call Employment Connection at (216) 664-3928. "Civilian employers don't always understand how military skills translate," and veterans are not great at explaining it themselves, said Bryan McGown, a liaison suddenly in high demand. McGown is the new and only job connection specialist for the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission. He assumed his duties full-time just two weeks ago and has yet to catch his breath. "I've been busy beyond belief," said McGown, a former Marine recruiter. "It's a good kind of busy." He's been meeting with unemployed veterans and with employers large and small, many of whom are reaching out to veterans with ideas to pull them into the labor pool. For example: Towlift Inc. in Independence is offering free forklift operator training to post-9/11 veterans. RTA is working with Cuyahoga Community College to connect its veteran students to openings for 75 bus drivers, mechanics and electricians. The Cleveland Clinic has hired 35 veterans since December and is poised to hire hundreds more, due to a specially designed workshop that helps veteran and Clinic managers understand each other's world. Hiring is up, but not enough News that veteran joblessness had reached crisis proportions caused a sensation last year. Many were aghast to learn that people who had risked their lives in defense of their country were standing in unemployment lines. Thanks to the attention, and a rising economy, the jobs picture is improving. In January, unemployment among veterans fell from 10 percent to 7.5 percent, below the national rate of 8.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan plunged as well, from 15.2 percent to 9.1 percent. But the veteran unemployment rate is higher in Ohio -- 11 percent -- and especially high for young

Page 3 of 5 veterans, 15 percent. Michael McKinney, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, said Ohio's dilemma may reflect both population and ambition. With the nation's sixth largest veteran community, the state sees a lot of returning veterans, he said. Many are going back to school on the GI Bill, and that go-getting group is also reflected in the unemployment rate. "Nonetheless, it's still a very high number," McKinney said. Experts say hiring veterans can be tricky for a number of reasons. First off, where do you find them? Mike Gordon, owner of Tendon Manufacturing in Warrensville Heights, has been looking for machinists and is willing to train. "Someone who's been getting up at dawn for reveille, I figure he can make it to work on time," Gordon said. "It would be great if they had some machining aptitude, but I'll interview any vet I can find." He has not been able to connect with any, partly because there is no obvious place to look. "It's been frustrating beyond belief," Gordon said. McGown represents not only a new hire but a new approach. Traditionally, veteran aid agencies have helped their clients to access government benefits and medical care. For career guidance, veterans are typically steered to civilian job training programs, where employers may or may not stumble upon them. "We had places to send people, but none of them were really for veterans," said Robert Schloendorn, executive director of the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission. McGown helped to convince the commission to create his position by proving himself essential. The Akron native arrived in November as a volunteer job counselor from AMVETS Career Center and was soon besieged with veterans looking for work. "We're so glad to have him," Schloendorn said. "His job is to find jobs and put vets into jobs." Seeing the best in the vet To accomplish that task, McGown believes he must bridge a communication gap. He says he needs hiring mangers to understand the qualities veterans tend to possess: reliability, steadfastness, a capacity to follow instructions.

Page 4 of 5 Then there are the intrinsic skills harder to define. Riccelli, a 1999 graduate of Magnificat High School, spent much of her 20s in the Army, which was its own kind of school. To track North Korean helicopters near the DMZ meant operating complex computer systems. At an Army base outside of Baghdad, she was basically a personnel manager in a mid-sized business operation. Her experience might appear military, McGown said, "but you can extract some of those skills, plus the intangibles -- leadership ability, loyalty, qualities that employers absolutely need." Veterans can also bring unattractive qualities to the job, he acknowledges. Combat veterans, especially, might have a physical disability or a mental health issue, like post traumatic stress. McGown insists most of the challenges can be easily accommodated. If not, he says, his people still deserve a break. "Honestly, these are veterans who have sacrificed part of their lives in defense of the country," he said. "We owe it to them." Many employers appear willing to meet him halfway. Through a specially designed workshop it calls Military Career Advanced Skills, the Cleveland Clinic is sharing its health-care culture with veterans and clueing them in on tricks to the job hunt. Co-sponsored by Employment Connection, the program aims to draw veterans out of the military mindset, especially for interviews, where clipped responses like "Yes sir" are not enough. It has achieved success matching veterans with jobs that did not appear on anyone's resume: cardiac monitoring technicians, patient service representatives, "redcoat" guides who steer the wayward around the massive Clinic complex. "It's working," said Gayle Agahi, the clinic's director of external partnerships. "Veterans make great employees. You know, they all have a strong work ethic. We're committed to hiring as many as we can." Many veterans, meanwhile, are taking steps to expand their experience and make themselves more employable. After he developed a repetitive strain injury as a chrome plater, David Wilkes, a Vietnam-era veteran from Euclid, tapped his veteran benefits to enroll in machining classes at Cuyahoga Community College. He started with Swagelok in Solon as a temporary worker. Last week, Wilkes, 56, was hired on as a full-time machinist. "For someone new in the field, it's harder to get in," he said. "But if you're a veteran, the doors seem to be